17.10.2014
JSC Rosseti joined the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business (hereinafter - the Charter). The company is included in the Consolidated Register of Members of the Charter. The Solemn Award Ceremony of certificate number 496 of September 23, 2014 took place at the Round Table in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. During the event, representatives of the State Duma, the Prosecutor General's Office, Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Labour of the Russian Federation, as well as the largest Russian and foreign companies discussed the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business and the Federal Law No. 273-FZ of 25.12.2008 "On Combating Corruption" (hereinafter - The Anti-Corruption Law).
The adoption of the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business was preceded by a long historical process associated with the Russian Federation becoming a member of international organizations, the ratification of international treaties, as well as implementation of the norms of international treaties - stipulating the adoption of anti-corruption standards by representatives of the business community - in Russian legislation.
The Russian Federation, as a member state of the UN and member of the working group of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, adheres to the principles and norms of contemporary international anti-corruption law. Our country has signed and ratified a number of conventions, including the "United Nations Convention against Corruption" (adopted by the UN General Assembly at the 51st plenary meeting of 03.10.2003), "Criminal Law Convention on Corruption" (ratified in Strasbourg, 27.01.1999) "Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in international Business Transactions" (ratified within the Council of Europe 21.11.1997).
The Anti-Corruption Law was adopted based on ratified conventions and then followed by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 13.04.2010, No. 460 "On the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2010 - 2011", providing for the obligation of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the national public organization - "Association of Lawyers of Russia", political parties, self-regulatory organizations, public organizations of industrialists and businessmen, and other public organizations to work towards the formation of societal intolerance for corrupt behaviour.
In order to implement the provisions of this Presidential Decree of 13.03.2012, No. 297 "On the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2012-2013 and amending some acts of the President of the Russian Federation on combating corruption", the revitalization of the business community’s work with public authorities in the field of anti-corruption, including the development of the Anti-Corruption Charter, had been previously planned.
Based on the above acts, Article 13.3 - which stipulates the obligation of organizations to take measures to prevent corruption – was included in the Anti-Corruption Law. In turn, the Guidelines for the development and adoption of measures to prevent and combat corruption by organizations, approved on 08.11.2013 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation (hereinafter - the Ministry of Labour Guidelines) provide for the obligation of organizations to engage in collective initiatives to combat corruption, particularly, joining the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business.
The Presidential Decree of 11.04.2014, No. 226 "On the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2014-2015" provides for the obligation of the Government of the Russian Federation to pay special attention to the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business.
Pursuant to the above-mentioned legal acts, on the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian public organization "Business Russia" and the Russia-wide public organization “Support of Russia", the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business was signed at the XI International Investment Forum in Sochi, on September 21, 2012.
The United Nations praised the initiative of the Russian business community, identifying the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business and the "Road Map for the implementation of its provisions" some of the achievements of the Russian Federation within the framework of the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption. In 2015, the Sixth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption will be held in Russia.
In the period from 2012 – 2014, more than a thousand companies, among them: RusHydro, JSC VTB Bank, Norilsk Nickel, MegaFon, Bank of Moscow, and other large enterprises and organizations joined the Charter.
JSC Rosseti, in order to implement the requirements of the Anti-Corruption Law, Article 13.3, and its official interpretation of the Ministry of Labour Guidelines (in the edition of 16.04.2014), identified participation in collective initiatives and membership in the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business as one of the measures to prevent corruption.
By joining the Charter, JSC Rosseti publicly confirmed its readiness to implement measures to prevent and combat corruption and to create conditions for public condemnation and rejection of corruption in the interaction with public authorities and corporate relations.
Within the company, these activities are systemic in nature, developed in accordance with the single anti-corruption policy of Rosseti and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Joining the Charter reflects Rosseti’s desire to conform to international law, Russian legislation in the field of prevention and combating corruption and high ethical standards of conducting an open and honest business. As part of an authoritative platform shared with other Organizations that are Parties to the Charter, the company receives additional opportunities to participate in collective initiatives for the prevention and fight against corruption, the implementation of which led to Rosseti’s inclusion in the expert group of the Joint Committee, being the initiators of the Charter. The goal is the creation of an organizational, methodological, and information environment for the successful implementation of the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business in the practice of entrepreneurship. According to the Director of Corporate and Anti-Corruption Compliance Department of Rosseti, Victoria Nikiforova, there will be a meeting of the expert group, in the near future, when it plans to discuss the preparation of guidelines on the implementation of anti-corruption checking procedures. The signing of this document will give Rosseti Group a significant competitive advantage when establishing business relations with the leading companies of the States Parties of the UN Convention against Corruption.
According to experts, possession of the certificate of membership in the Anti-Corruption Charter of Russian Business and inclusion in the "Register of Reliable Partners" significantly increases the business reputation of domestic companies, provides a range of preferences in signing international contracts and dealing with banks and financial institutions, and increases the degree of confidence in business-partners pursuing a policy of checking potential projects and contractors for compliance with international legal standards and national legislation on preventing and combating corruption.
